G4S Security received a hiding in parliament on Tuesday after it failed to appear before a committee where they were expected to explain how rapist and murderer Thabo Bester made a grand escape from a prison the company had been managing.
The company was meant to appear before the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services together with the department of correctional services (DCS) and the police on Tuesday morning. However, it emerged that G4S sent a letter to the committee on Monday requesting to make a presentation on Bester’s escape after the Easter holidays, claiming they did not have enough time to prepare.
The letter was received by the committee’s chairperson Gratitude Magwinishe on Monday afternoon.
During the committee’s sitting on Tuesday, an upset Magwanishe said G4S were sent an invitation last week but chose not to honour it.
“They (G4S) received the invitation to come and attend last week, and they elected to respond yesterday (Monday) after lunch... In terms of our sequence of presentations, we thought G4S would be the first to present, followed by DCS, then JICS (Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services) and SAPS...,” said Magwanishe.
DA MP Adv Glynnis Breytenbach said the sitting should be postponed so that G4S presents first.
“I find it difficult to contain my outrage that this kind of thing can happen and a year later little progress has been made. I am outraged that G4S can send us such a letter... They thumbed their nose at this portfolio committee and demanded to be summoned here in order to obtain some sort of flimsy protection. For what? It is very clear they have something to hide...
“We should consider not proceeding today. It would make little sense if we proceed without G4S and we would be making a mockery of this procedure,” said Breytenbach.
ACDP’s Nicholas Swart echoed Breytenbach’s sentiments.
“I am outraged that G4S decides not to come. How dare they say they are not coming today. G4S should come here and they are going to respond no matter what,” said Swart.
ANC’s Nomathemba Maseko-Jele also agreed that the sitting cannot continue in the absence of G4S.
“The G4S people were the ones responsible on site (Mangaung Prison). They are the ones having information. They have shown disrespect to this committee and the public by not honouring this invitation,” said Maseko-Jele.
G4S legal representative Adv Ben Wicks, who was present at the sitting, said “they did not mean to disrespect the committee”.
“G4S didn’t directly receive any invitation, but incidentally heard from BCC [Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts] that this meeting is taking place. G4S is keen to help this committee. We are unable to make a presentation without summons because the summons are needed to allow us to give information we cannot give now due to confidentiality and contractual obligations.”
Magwanishe said the sitting would be postponed to another date when G4S and all departments were present.
He said the committee would contact the speaker of the National Assembly to issue summons to G4S to appear before it.
DCS, led by minister Ronald Lamola, Justice Edwin Cameron from JICS and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola were in attendance.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
MPs outraged as G4S snubs meeting on Bester escape
Company calls for summons
Image: G4S
G4S Security received a hiding in parliament on Tuesday after it failed to appear before a committee where they were expected to explain how rapist and murderer Thabo Bester made a grand escape from a prison the company had been managing.
The company was meant to appear before the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services together with the department of correctional services (DCS) and the police on Tuesday morning. However, it emerged that G4S sent a letter to the committee on Monday requesting to make a presentation on Bester’s escape after the Easter holidays, claiming they did not have enough time to prepare.
The letter was received by the committee’s chairperson Gratitude Magwinishe on Monday afternoon.
During the committee’s sitting on Tuesday, an upset Magwanishe said G4S were sent an invitation last week but chose not to honour it.
“They (G4S) received the invitation to come and attend last week, and they elected to respond yesterday (Monday) after lunch... In terms of our sequence of presentations, we thought G4S would be the first to present, followed by DCS, then JICS (Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services) and SAPS...,” said Magwanishe.
DA MP Adv Glynnis Breytenbach said the sitting should be postponed so that G4S presents first.
“I find it difficult to contain my outrage that this kind of thing can happen and a year later little progress has been made. I am outraged that G4S can send us such a letter... They thumbed their nose at this portfolio committee and demanded to be summoned here in order to obtain some sort of flimsy protection. For what? It is very clear they have something to hide...
“We should consider not proceeding today. It would make little sense if we proceed without G4S and we would be making a mockery of this procedure,” said Breytenbach.
ACDP’s Nicholas Swart echoed Breytenbach’s sentiments.
“I am outraged that G4S decides not to come. How dare they say they are not coming today. G4S should come here and they are going to respond no matter what,” said Swart.
ANC’s Nomathemba Maseko-Jele also agreed that the sitting cannot continue in the absence of G4S.
“The G4S people were the ones responsible on site (Mangaung Prison). They are the ones having information. They have shown disrespect to this committee and the public by not honouring this invitation,” said Maseko-Jele.
G4S legal representative Adv Ben Wicks, who was present at the sitting, said “they did not mean to disrespect the committee”.
“G4S didn’t directly receive any invitation, but incidentally heard from BCC [Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts] that this meeting is taking place. G4S is keen to help this committee. We are unable to make a presentation without summons because the summons are needed to allow us to give information we cannot give now due to confidentiality and contractual obligations.”
Magwanishe said the sitting would be postponed to another date when G4S and all departments were present.
He said the committee would contact the speaker of the National Assembly to issue summons to G4S to appear before it.
DCS, led by minister Ronald Lamola, Justice Edwin Cameron from JICS and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola were in attendance.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
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